Combustion chamber



May 8, 1934.

G. W. CHRISTOPH COMBUSTION CHAMBER Filed NOV. 20. 1931 Patented May 8,1934 TATE PATENT QFFECE COMBUSTION CHAMBER George W. Christoph, EastWindsor, Conn.

Application November 20, 1931, Serial No. 576,368

1 Claim.

My invention relates to the class of devices empioyed to promote thecombustion of hydrocarbon fluids and other combustible material whichmay be more or less in a state of suspension, and an object of myinvention, among others, is the provision of means for effectingconsumption of fuel to a maximum degree, thereby enabling a maximumamount of heat to be obtained and consequently effecting a saving in theamount of fuel required for a given purposev One form of an apparatusembodying my invention and in t 1e construction and use of which theobjects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a frontView of a heater equipped with my improved device.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a view, scale enlarged, in central longitudinal sectionthrough my improved combustion chamber.

Figure 4 is a View in cross section through the same on a plane denotedby the dotted lines l i of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a top view of the same with the top wall broken out to showconstruction.

It is a well recognized fact that a large amount of heat is wasted inall of the devices employed at the present time in the consumption ofoil or similar fluids, or other combustible material such as coal dust,sawdust, and similar inflammable matter which may be more or less in astate of suspension, for heating and similar purposes, for the reasonthat much of the combustible mate'- rial is thrown oiT unconsumed and istherefore wasted. This is largely due to the fact that the inflammablematter is not thoroughly mixed with air which is necessary for perfectcombustion. It is my purpose to provide means for combining thecombustible material air to a maximum extent and thereby eifect suchconsumption of the combustible elements in the fuel as will create andproduce a maximum amount of heat.

Such a device is shown in the accompanying drawing in which the numeral5 denotes my improved combustion chamber comprising a casing that may becomposed of any suitable material and of such size as will be effectivefor any specific purpose. This casing or chamber may be of differentshapes in cross section and it has an inlet opening 6 for supply of acombustible fuel to the interior of the chamber. Different forms ofapparatus for supplying the fuel to the combustion chamber may beemployed, the one selected by me for disclosure of my invention,

and as shown in the drawing herein, comprising an inlet tube '7 whichmay consist of the stem of a Y-joint or fixture, one of the branches 8of which may be attached to a pipe 9 connected with any suitable sourcefor supply of combustible fuel and the other branch 10 of which may beconnected with a fan 11 employed for supply of air to said fixture, andwhich may be driven as by means of a motor 12. Each of the branches 8and 10 may be equipped with a valve suitable for controlling flow offuel and air through such branches, and any desired means for promotingmovement of the combustible fuel through the pipe 9 may be employed.

An outlet tube 13 is attached to the chamber in any suitable manner andextends inwardly thereinto for a proper distance from one end thereof toproduce the desired results. The inlet tube '7 enters the chamber nearone end and between the outlet tube 13 and the inner wall of thechamber, and as shown in Figures 3 and e of the drawing. An ignitiondevice of any suitable type may be located in the chamber in line withthe inlet 6, in the arrangement pictured herein this device comprising aspark plug 14 that may be connected with any suitable source of electricenergy. I

This arrangement is such that a stream of combustible material isdelivered through the inlet 6 and is ignited at its entrance into thechamber. This stream takes a centrifugal spiral course within thechamber, gradually extending inwardly to the mouth of the outlet tube 13through which it escapes from the chamber. The swirling action of themixture causes the air and combustible fuel to be thoroughly mixedthereby promoting combustion to a high degree, and the time during whichthe mixture is retained in the chamber being prolonged results in a highpercentage of consumption of fuel and consequently in the production ofa maximum amount of heat from the consumption of a certain amount offuel.

This chamber may be made use of in various ways. In the particular formof apparatus illustrated herein the chamber is supported just outside ofa heater 15, a conducting tube 16 extending from the outlet tube 13being projected through the wall or door of the heater into the interiorthereof and into which the flame from the combustion chamber isdelivered with substantially all of the combustible elements in a stateof ignition. In the example herein shown the tube 16 is extended throughthe lower door 17 of the heater. This affords a ready means forattaching the device to a hot water heater, steam generator, or otherheating equipment already installed, but I contemplate that the chambermay be formed directly within and constitute an integral part of theheating apparatus in the form of a water heater, furnace, or the like,and particularly when such heater is originally designed to employ myimproved combustion chamher as a means for consumption of fuel therein.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I havedescribed the principles of operation of my invention together with thedevice which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is onlyillustrative, and that the invention may be carried out by other meansand applied to uses other than those above set out.

I claim:

A combustion chamber comprising a cylindrical casing of constantdiameter throughout its length and having one closed end wall, acylindrical outlet tube extending axially through the other end wall andarranged coaxially of the casing and providing an annular chamberdefined by the coaxial walls of the casing and tube, the inner end ofthe tube terminating in spaced relation to the closed end wall, fuelsupply means tangentially communicating with the casing through thecylindrical wall thereof adjacent the end wall supporting the outlettube and igniting means for the fuel adjacent its delivery to the casingwhereby the ignited fuel is caused to travel in a spiral path towardsthe closed end wall of the casing for complete combustion beforedischarge through the outlet tube.

GEORGE W. CHRISTOPH.

